Pruning cutters



jan. 28, 1958 A. M. scHwlEso 2,821,018

PRUNING CUTTERS Filed April 4, 1957 A 3- INVENTUA ,4km/- M. af/M550 BY l sil'nited States Yijatent assists! Patented jan. 28, 1953 tice PRUNnsG cUrTERs Archie M. Schwieso, SantaCruz, Calif., assignor to H. Boker & Co., Inc., New York, N. Y., af corporation of New York Application April 4, 1957, Serial. No.Y 656,648

5 Claims. (Cl. 30-7-186) This invention relates to pruning cutters, and is shown applied in connection with pruning cutters of the nipper type wherein the sharp edge of one blade hits an anvil constituting the other blade. I

Broadly stated, the invention contemplates provision of an improved catch for the jaws of pruning cutters More specifically, the invention provides an improved catch in combination with the jaws of the pruning.cuttersA such that the opening ofthe jaws may be limited to one of a plurality of positions. 4

Furthermore the invention is directed to an improved catch in combination with the jaws of pruning cutters such that the catch functions 4either as a limitation to opening position of the jaws -or to lock the jaws closed when so desired. I

ln greater detail, the invention provides a slidable catch the directionof sliding of which is transverse to the path of movementy of the jaw members in the vicinity of said catch.

Another object of the invention is to provide a detent for the catch so arranged that the natural effort of the operator to shift the catch automatically releases said detent.

Yet another object oi the invention is toprovide a detent for the catch that remains fully eiective and cannot be disturbed by. the operation o'f the jaws. during cutting use of the pruning cutters. i

Still other objectsQadvantage's and structural features of the inventionwill-y become'apparentto persons skilled in the art to which the invention appertains as the description proceeds, both by direct recitation thereof and by implication from the context. i

Referring to theY accompanying drawing, in whichlike numerals Vof reference indicate .similar parts throughout the several views;

Figure. l is a side elevation of pruning cutters embodyingthe present invention, looking at the same at what will be arbitrarily termed the front side of the pruning cutters, and showing the jaws in their closed and locked PQStiQn;

Figure 2 is a plan or top edge view of the pruning cutters in the position thereof as' appearing in Fig. l;V

'Figures' t are front elevations similar to Fig. 1 and showing the j aws respectively at their intermediate o r limited Voperi position andV at their wide open position as eontrolledmby the appropriate adjustment or location of the catch;`

Figure 5 ,is asectional view taken on line V-V of Figli .t i

Figure 6 is avsectional view taken on line VI--VI of Figure 7 is a perspective view ot the detent male element Qfthfsatch; i `4 i Fivre S, 'isa rien leaking at what is. arbitrarily termed the bask Qt' tHe ironas' Critters aile with a Part of the Baskin! member Molise @Way in, the vijc'flty Of, the .Cathzd 61159 is a partially. diagrammatic Ysw howls *11e rs; 'with than relatioiiofA the vtzafteh' andV thel several Ashoul7 it functions in use.

ln the specific the invention illustrated in said drawing, the pruning cutters comprise crossed members 10, 11 pivoted where they cross in suitable manner as by thebolt, nut and washer assembly 12 fully shown in Fig. 5;. At what will arbitrarily be called the rear end of the pruning` cutters, said members are shaped to comprise handlesor grip portions 13, 14 respectively. Utilizing corresponding arbitrary terminology, the forward ends of said members comprise jaws 1S, 16Y` of which one, as 15, is providedwith a removable anvil 1'7l retained in adjusted position by screws 18 so that the jaw 16 may make full line contact with said anvil when the jaws are moved to closedposition. It will be understood that when the handles are closed toward each other, the jaws likewise close toward each other` andv that when the handles are spread apart, the jaws are similarly spread apart or opened. Any suitable spring loading may be provided, such as bar-spring 19 herein shown secured in handle 1,3 near the rear end thereof andbearing against handle 1 4 to the rear. of pivot 12, the handles, and therefore the jaws, being thereby normallyA actuated toward open position.

An essential feature oithe present invention is to selectively lock theV jaws and handles in closed position or to permit opening to a full or to an intermediate position. For brevity, theportions o said members lil, 11 Where crossed, may be referred to as the cheeks thereof.. As a means for the selective locking and4 positioning feature just mentioned, a slidable catch 2@ may be mounted on one member as 11, next to the cheek edge of the other member 10, and movable toward and away from that said cheek edge in a direction preferably aligned radially oi the piv-ot 12.

Said catch comprises a stud-like device including a preferably square shank 2 1, on which, at what may be termed the upper end thereof, is a head 22 which projects at two opposite sidesv of the stud so that said head has an elongation in a direction transverse to thel shank. One end of said head, which Vfor convenience of identication will be termed the inner end, is made shallow enough to project over the cheek of front member 1i). The other, or what will be termed'the outerV end of said head 22, projects outwardly over the cheek of the other member 11, and since that cheek is at a level behind the front cheek of member 10, said outer end of the head is thicker than the inner end commensurate with the thickness of said front cheek. At the far extremities of said head from the shank are provided rearwardly directed lips 23. which ride in engagement with the respective cheeks when the head is slid from one position to another.

lt may now be pointed out that members 19 and 11 are each of channel formation longitudinally and that the jaw 16 has a tlat shank portion 24 that lies between the flanges of the channel-shaped member 11 in contact with both of those iianges andjrearwardly past the pivot 12 and past catch 20. Common to both of said anges of member 11 andthe interposed shank portion 24 of blade or jaw 16 is a slot 2S directed lengthwise toward pivot l2, said slot having appropriate width'to have slidable fitting engagement with the shank Z1 of the catch. The pivot 12 and shank 21 cooperate to keep jaw 16 from rotational shifting with respect to member 11. The lengthof said slot 2.5 is an important consideration and will be discussed more at length hereinafter at an appropriate part of this specication.

The rear end of shank 21 of catch 2li receives a screw 26 the head of which is preferably wider than said slot 25 and therefore capable of preventing displacement o the catch from said slot. Furthermore, said shank 21 has a length greater than the thickness of member 11 in vicinity'ofV the slot', so ithat the shank'projects at its rear from said member, andthe screw head, when brought home against the end of said shank still leaves a space or gap between the rim of said head and adjacent face of said member. A resilient detent 27 occupies that space. p Said detent is shown as approximately circular at its outer periphery and as having a square hole 28 which will slidably ride on the square shank 21 and thereby kept from rotating. It will also be noted that the detent has a diametric depressed burr 29 and that the halves of the detent on opposite sides of the burr slope upwardly in unrestrained condition, but in use lare resiliently depressed by engagement of the head of screw 26 thereagainst. The resiliency of said detent functions to seat the stud head againsty the cheeks of members 10, 11 and also tends to seat said burr 29 in one of a series of kerfs 30 in the back face of member 11 yadjacent and perpendicular to slot 2S. It will be understood that the detent is placed on the shank 21 in such manner that the burr 29 will extend toward the adjacent member 11 `and transverse to said slot 25.

The edge of the cheek of member 141 where` overlapped by inner end of stud head 22 has steps at different radial distances from pivot 12. The step having the shortest radial distance r1 (Fig. 9) from pivot 12 is preferably formed as a three-sided squared notch 31 of appropriate dimensions to receive a ksquared portion of'catch stud shank 21 therein and in so doing preventing said member 10 from rotating in either direction with respect to the other member 11. Notch 31 is properly located so that when the stud shank is therein, the jaws are in closed position, and since the notch is a three-sided square, the said jaws will be lockedin that closed position. It may now also be pointed -out that the inward end of slot 25 substantially coincides with the bottom'of said notch 31. It furthermore is pointed out that when said squared shank is located in said notch, detent burr 29 seats in the innermost one of kerfs 30, thereby releasably retaining the catch in its locking position.

The next step, designated 32, adjacent to notch 31, located a distance r2 from the pivot 12 has no obstruction at its end toward the notch, but the ,riser 33 at the opposite end of said step constitutes a stop a distance d2 from the notch preferably equal to the corresponding dimension of the shank. When the catch is slid outwardly away from the pivot suicient distance to enable the shank to ride, when the members are rotated, a distance d2' and thereby permits the jaws to be moved from closed position to an intermediate openposition and vice versa. When the .catch is in its position just described permitting riding of the stud shank lover step 32, the .burr 29 of the detent registers with and seats kin another one of the kerfs 30. Consequently the pruning cuttersmay be used as long as desired with opening of the handles and jaws limited to the intermediate position established by the catch being stopped by riser 33. While I show one intermediate position, it will be understood that by use of appropriate spacing of steps and risers, and by corresponding location of kerfs, as many intermediate positions as desired may be provided.

In similar manner, a final step 34 at radius r3from the pivot may be provided and of appropriateA length in a rotative direction to permit movement of the catch a disktance d3 from its position of registration with notch 31 through maximum displacement permitted by said iinal step. Each step is arcuate about the pivot axis, and therefore when the catch is set ito one of its outward positions next to .a step it may revolve about said pivot along said va distance r3 from the pivot and will not be interfered with by the intermediate riser 33 but can continue in movement to pass'onto the final step 34. While eccentricity of the cheek edge may be utilized as the final stop,

either direction.

I have shown a riser 35 at the end of said nal step 34 similar to stop 33 at the end of intermediate step 32. It should also be noted that a third kerf 3l) of the series of kerfs is provided to retain-the catch releasably at its outermost position so the catch will remain in its outermost position as long as it is desired to use ythe pruning cutters with maximum opening of the jaws with each stroke.-

It is now appropriate to observe thaty the length'of said slot 25 in a direction radially from the pivot 12 isproperly proportioned to receive the stud therethrough and to afford the desired movement of the stud from its innermost position where seated in notch 31 to its outermost position where it will be free to pass over the several stepsas the members are swung to maximum open position of the jaws. The construction furthermore permits releasable detention of the catch in any oneof its several locations in the slot by means of burr 29 resiliently seating-in thecorrespondingone of kerfs 30, thereby either retainingthe catch shank seated in notch 31 to retain thejaws closed, or atan outward position at one of which `the jawsl may be opened only to an intermediate openf'relation or at another, position at which the jaws may be operated to a maximum open position. The length of the head 2210i the catch is furthermore of appropriate dimension such that the innermost lip 23 thereof always over-rides the face of the adjacent kmember cheek at all slid positionsof the catch, and the outermost `lip similarly engages upon the other member cheek on which it rides 'at-all slid positions of said catch and are never permitted to drop into the notch or into the slot in any position of the catch or of the members. Said lips are of limitedy area where bearing upon the respective members and therefore exert the same frictional contact at the several positions to which they are slid. The user, by thumb engagement with the outer knurled surface of the stud head 22 needs to exert only the same pressure and push on the head 22 for moving the stud frcmanyrposition to another,

Finally, it may also bel called to attention that the rear cheek of member 10 is bulged outwardly at 36 to overlie the screw 26 and detent 27 for protective purposes and to prevent inadvertent shifting of `the catch ,as a result of engagement of the rear of the pruningcutters with some object.

I claim:

1. Pruning cutters having crossed members having cheeks where crossed,v a pivot through said cheeks for permitting scissor-like` movement of `said members with respect to each other, one of said members having an edge overlying the other member and said 'edge having' steps at different radial distances from saidpivot in progressive succession one tothe next, andthe other said member having a slide catch mounted' therein and overlapping said stepped member, said catch being selectively in engagement with the respective members.

4. Pruning cutters in accordance with claim 1, Where- Vin mounting for said slide catch comprises a slot inl said other member extending longitudinally in a direction radially of said pivot, and wherein said catch provides a squared shank slidably engaging the sides .of said'slot Aand having movement'lengthwise of 'said slot a distance at least equal tothe cumulative depth of all of said steps. 5. Pruning cutters in accordance with claim 1, wherein the step nearest to said pivot comprises a notch for recep- VYtion of said slide catch and by which when thecatch `is therein the members areprevented from, movement in No references cited. 

